Right in the centre - Go Natives go!
- Details
- Published on Thursday, March 9, 2017
By Ken Waddell
The Neepawa Banner
The Neepawa Natives Junior A Hockey team has had a long history, 28 years of history. The past seven years have been a bit of a dry period, when you measure success by play-off games. The last time the Natives made the playoffs was in 2010. That was the year they came up against Dauphin, a year when that city was hosting the RBC cup and had bulked up big time with talent (at great financial cost) to be competitive at the national level. Neepawa lost that playoff series to Dauphin.
After six years of playoff drought, the Natives board made what some considered a bold move, they hired a young coach. Dustin Howden, a big, strong and popular goalie from Deloraine, had been two years as assistant coach and yes, he is young, but he had the support of the board. He also has the support of the players, as the team has trained and worked through injuries. They have continued to grow and develop to the point that their winning record is about the hottest in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Not long ago, the Natives were 12 points out of a play-off spot, but they skated and skated until they topped off the season with a dominant win over Swan River on Sunday night. The score was 6-3, but their play dominated their opponents. Recently, they beat Dauphin and top ranked Steinbach. Now they face Steinbach in the first playoff round and the fun starts Friday night in Steinbach, with a return match scheduled for Sunday at Neepawa.
Last Sunday’s game generated a crowd of around 1,000 people, a crowd not seen for years in the Yellowhead Centre. The game was hyped in the media, both traditional and social media. The place was loud and boisterous, like a hockey arena should be. The bar, the concession, the 50/50 were all buzzing. The team certainly made a contribution to the YHC and the community that night. I think that after 28 years, the team shouldn’t have to keep proving themselves in terms of contribution to the YHC and community. There are still skeptics, even in the face of the obvious. Not everyone loves hockey, but everyone should love any organization that brings as much business and recognition as the Natives Hockey Club has done.
Between 1989 and 2016, the Neepawa Natives spent $6.2 million, mostly in Neepawa, for billets, equipment, ice rental at the Yellowhead Centre, salaries and team expenses. Economic studies show that money spent in a local economy has a 1:7 ratio, that every dollar gets circulated seven times. That means that the Neepawa Natives have generated and economic impact of over $42 million in the area since 1989. The Neepawa Natives generated $823,000 at the Yellowhead Centre in that same time frame, ice rental of $459,000 and concession revenue of $364,000. The Neepawa Natives conduct 29 games, two major banquets and two camps (two to three days each). That’s 33 events each and every year.
But there’s more to come. The board of directors has made a conscious decision to reach out even further. Junior hockey is only 25 per cent ticket sales and 75 per cent sponsorships and fund raising. Two new team initiatives are coming soon, both of which are intended to raise money, but also give back to the YHC and the community. On March 24, the Natives are starting a weekly Chase-the-Ace event at the YHC. That will be another 51 events each year. Also, on April 6, the team is hosting the First Annual Ag Expo, an event to showcase our extensive Ag industry in the Neepawa area.
And yes, I do have a vested interest in all this process. I currently serve as Natives team president and as past-chair of the YHC. And if the community does well, our business benefits, but so does every other business in town. And so does the community as whole.
The biggest reward I get from all this hockey stuff is hearing from parents and player alumni. I talked to an American family recently and they couldn’t say enough about how good they thought Neepawa was and how good Manitoba is. Like nearly every parent who has had a son play here, they were very warm in their praise for Neepawa and the Neepawa Natives. The team has at least four play-off games ahead of them yet this season and against Steinbach, the fourth highest ranked team in Canada. And remember, the Natives beat Steinbach the last time they came to town. Not too shabby, I’d say.
Come on out and enjoy the fun.
